Has your Google My Business (GMB) listing been suspended, leaving you wondering why it happened? Discovering your GMB listing has been removed can be a major setback as it will leave you with a listing you have no control over or, in other cases, no listing at all. Having a strong online presence is essential for managing a successful business and your GMB listing plays a vital role in connecting with the local audiences.

Therefore, losing your GMB listing can be quite frustrating and you must take measures to fix this issue. Here, in this post, we will have a detailed discussion on why your GMB listing gets suspended and how you can resolve this problem. Read on for further insights. 

What is a GMB Listing Suspension? 

A GMB listing suspension is a scenario when your listing is no longer active and does not appear in search results. A soft suspension leads your business to become unverified, on the other hand, a hard suspension entirely removes the listing from Google. 

When your listing gets suspended, you either cannot manage your listing or it does not appear on the top of search engine results. Here, we are going to have further discussions on GMB listing suspensions. 

Types of GMB Listing Suspensions 

If your GMB listing gets suspended, it is essential for you to figure out what kind of suspension the listing is experiencing. Here are the primary types of suspensions that usually take place. 

Soft Suspension 

A soft suspension labels your business as unverified. When the listing goes through soft suspension, you will receive a suspension notice, however, your listing will show up on Google and Google maps. 

Hard Suspension 

If your listing goes through a hard suspension, it is fully removed from Google. This suspension is serious in nature and will require you to do more work to revive your listing. 

Manager Account Suspension 

When a manager’s account gets suspended, it removes the manager’s ability to work with the listing. However, the listing is not fully removed from Google. This type of suspension falls under the category of Soft suspension. 

Owner Account Suspension 

If an owner’s account gets suspended, this account is completely removed from Google. In this case, Google bans and removes all listings owned by this account. This type of suspension falls under the category of hard suspension.  

Reasons Why Your GMB Listing Can Be Suspended and How to Fix It 

There are various reasons that can lead Google to suspend your GMB account. Here are the most usual ones. 

There is Something Deceptive or Misleading About Your Listing 

One of the primary reasons Google can suspend your listing if the business name does not match the actual business or you provide incorrect contact information. Google’s aim is to maintain trust and authenticity. Make sure to provide only correct and accurate information on your GMB listing. Review your profile at regular intervals, find any discrepancies or misleading information and address them. 

You Have More than One Profile for the Same Business 

Another reason that can get your GMB listing suspended is having more than one profile for the same business. Google allows only one profile for each business location to avoid confusing users. If you have created multiple profiles for one business in the same location, it will lead Google to suspending your profile. 

To resolve this problem, you will need to identify and remove any duplicate accounts, providing all accurate and important information in one accurate and comprehensive account. 

Something in Your Content Violates Google’s User Guidelines 

Google user guidelines are implemented to provide users with a positive and safe experience. Publication of inappropriate content, promoting illegal activities, or using offensive language can lead Google to suspend your GMB listing. Review your content regularly to ensure it complies with Google guidelines. In this case you may be wondering about what to do. The best thing you can do is partner with a local marketing company. This will ensure you post only high-quality and useful content for your target audience. 

Google Has Flagged a Profile Manager or Account Owner for Suspicious Behavior

If Google flags a profile manager or owner for suspicious activities such as phishing or spamming, it significantly affects the integrity of your GMB profile. It is essential for you to ensure those who access your GMB profile adheres to Google’s guidelines. Conduct regular audits of your account activities and ensure secure accounts practices to prevent your profile from getting suspended. 

Your Business Address is Not Valid 

You need to provide a valid and accurate address for your GMB listing. Not providing an accurate address can make Google suspend your GMB listing. Make sure to list an accurate and legitimate address where your business is located and keep it consistent across all your online listings. 

Your Business Information is Inaccurate or Not Up-to-Date 

Providing misleading or outdated business information is against Google’s guidelines. Regularly update your profile and reflect exact business hours, contact information, and the products and services that you offer. This will not only protect your listing from getting suspended, but will also enhance user trust and engagement.

You Have Used a Large Number of Keywords in an Unauthentic Way 

Another factor that can make Google suspend your GMB listing is the use of too many keywords (commonly known as keyword stuffing) in an inappropriate way. Google values content that is natural and relevant. Therefore, instead of forcefully incorporating too many keywords, prioritize creating genuine, valuable, informative content that naturally contains keywords that represent your business accurately. 

Your Listing Has Fake Reviews 

Google may suspend your account for having fake or incentivized reviews. Such practices mislead users and break trust. You can protect your listing from getting suspended by encouraging genuine reviews for your users and promptly and professionally responding to them. While responding, do not ignore negative reviews. Address them accordingly to maintain your integrity and authenticity.  

What to Do If Your GMB Account Gets Suspended 

If your listing already gets suspended before you can protect it, here are some ways to restore your profile. 

●     Submit a Request for Reinstatement 

When your GMB listing gets suspended, the first thing you need to do is submit a reinstatement to Google. While submitting this request, make sure to provide evidence alongside. You can provide a digital copy of your business license or a utility bill that has the physical address of the listed business. Remember, you need to submit only one reinstatement request for one suspended account. 

●     Submit an Appeal 

While reinstatement requests and appeals may sound like the same thing, they are different from each other. When your GMB account gets suspended, you will receive an email from Google that your account has been suspended. In this email, you will come across a button as “Appeal”. 

If you have the opportunity, submit both reinstatement requests and appeal upon the suspension of your listing. 

●     Respond to the Support Email from Google 

Once you send a reinstatement request to Google, you will receive an automated email from Google support. Although this is an automated email, you can reply to this email. Keep responding to this email until a professional responds and offers proper instructions. 

●     Stay in Touch with Google Support Until the Suspension is Lifted

As soon as you receive an update or further instructions from the Google support team, put your best efforts to adhere to these instructions. Once you edit your profile following these instructions, respond to Google’s email and request them to review your profile.

Conclusion 

Having an active GMB profile is essential for your business to have a powerful online presence and connect with your local target audience. You can protect your listing from getting suspended by updating your listing regularly, adhering to Google’s conduct and content guidelines, and providing genuine and informative content. 

You can ensure a strong online presence for your GMB listing and prevent it from getting suspended in the future by partnering with a reputed digital marketing company such as DigitalBenz. We are a team of highly qualified and experienced digital marketers specializing in offering a wide range of services including SEO, local marketing, content marketing and more. Connect with us to receive our expert support.